Aurangzeb Alamgir

BY GROUP 4
9E BOYS
 Group Members
• Abdul Rehman
• Hamd Ullah
• Sabeeh Alvi
• Hamza
• Ahil
• Danyal
 Aurangzeb Alamgir
• Aurangzeb, the third son of Shah Jahan, was born on 21 October 1618, at
Dohad, on the frontier of Gujarat and Rajputana.
• He was younger than Dara Shikoh and Shuja, but in competence and
character he easily excelled them.
• He was industrious, far seeing and thorough. He had distinguished himself as
an able administrator.
• During the long years that he spent in the Deccan and other provinces of the
Empire.
• He was a fearless soldier and a skilful general and in his dealing with men he
was cool and cautious.
 Personality
• He grew up as a serious-minded and devout youth,
wedded to the Muslim orthodoxy of the day and free
from the royal Mughal traits of sensuality and
drunkenness.
• He showed signs of Millitary and administrative
ability early; these qualities, combined with a taste
for power, brought him into rivalry with his eldest
brother, the brilliant and volatile Dara Shikoh who
was designated by their father as his successor to the
throne.
• From 1636 Aurangzeb held a number of important
appointments, in all of which he distinguished
himself.
• Even as a prince, Auranzeb was known for his devotion to Muslim
religion and observance of Islamic injunctions.
• Auranzeb referred in some of his letters written to Shah Jahan during
the war of succession that he was acting for the sake of the true faith
and the peace of the realm.
• As soon as he was secure on the throne, he started the introduction of
reforms which would make his domain a proper Muslim State.
• After his coronation he issued orders which were calculated to please
the orthodox.
• In the economic sphere he showed a determined opposition to all
illegal exactions and all the taxes which were not authorized by
Islamic law.
 Policies
• The ideal of Aurangzeb was the creation of Muslim theocracy.
• He restored Islam to its original position as the religion of the court and the country. As a
great puritan ruler he adopted the following measures:
• He removed the Kalima from the coins, abolished the celebration of the Persian ‘new Year
Day” he also appointed Muhtasibs in all the important cities to enforce the Quranic law.
• He banned music and disallowed musical parties, he also dismissed the court musicians
who had been employed by his ancestors.
• Aurangzeb stopped the practice of the weighing of his body against gold, silver and other
commodities.
• He stopped the custom of Jharoka Darshan, it deprived the people of an opportunity to get
their wrongs redressed directly from the emperor.
• He forbade the courtiers to use to Hindu mode of
saluting one another and instead advocated the use of
the words, Assalam- Alekum (Peace be upon you)
• He also dismissed the royal astronomers and
astrologers.
• Drinking was forbidden, and the kotwal was ordered
to cut one hand and one foot of all those whi used this
liquor.
• He forbade women for visiting the shrines of the
holy men.
• Prostitution was banned; the prostitutes were given
the option to either of getting married or leaving the
Mughal Empire.
Revolts by Marathas
• The Maratha revolt against Aurangzeb was a significant
uprising by the Maratha Empire, a powerful Hindu
empire in western and central India, The Maratha
Empire, led by Shivaji Bhosle and later by his
successors, had successfully established its sovereignty
over a large part of western India. However, Aurangzeb
sought to bring the Marathas under his control and
assert Mughal authority over the region.
• The Maratha revolt against Aurangzeb was
characterized by a protracted and intense struggle. The
Marathas employed a combination of guerrilla warfare,
hit-and-run tactics, and swift mobility to counter the
superior resources and military strength of the Mughal
Empire.
• Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire, laid the foundation for the resistance
against the Mughals. He employed guerilla tactics, established a network of forts,
and implemented a decentralized administration to safeguard Maratha territories.
Shivaji's son, Sambhaji, continued the resistance after Shivaji's death and fought
against Aurangzeb's forces.
• One of the defining events of the Maratha revolt was the Siege of Panhala in
1689. After Sambhaji's capture and execution by Aurangzeb, his younger brother
Rajaram assumed leadership and defended the Panhala fort against a prolonged
siege by the Mughals. The fort's valiant defense demonstrated the Marathas'
determination and resilience in the face of Mughal aggression.
• strategic brilliance of Maratha generals like Santaji Ghorpade, Dhanaji Jadhav,
and the legendary commander Bajirao I. Bajirao I, known for his military genius,
expanded Maratha territories, inflicted heavy losses on the Mughals, and became
a formidable adversary for Aurangzeb.
 Consequences of Revolts
• Financial and Military Strain: The revolts imposed a heavy financial and military
burden on the Mughal Empire. The need to suppress the rebellions required extensive
resources and manpower, draining the empire's treasury and weakening its military
strength.
• Loss of Territory: The revolts resulted in the loss of significant territories for the
Mughal Empire. The Marathas, Rajputs, Sikhs, and other regional powers successfully
defended their lands or even expanded their domains, diminishing the centralized control
of the Mughals.
• Weakening of Central Authority: The revolts eroded the central authority of the
Mughal Empire. Aurangzeb's focus on expanding religious homogeneity and
centralization led to discontent among various groups. The revolts demonstrated the
challenges faced by the empire in maintaining control over its vast territories.
• Religious and Cultural Polarization: The revolts deepened
religious and cultural polarization within the empire. Aurangzeb's
strict implementation of Islamic laws and policies alienated non-
Muslim communities and led to the entrenchment of religious
identities.
• Legacy of Resilience: The revolts demonstrated the resilience and
determination of various groups to resist Aurangzeb's rule. The
successful resistance of the Marathas, Rajputs, Sikhs, and others
laid the foundation for future challenges to Mughal authority and
contributed to the eventual decline of the empire.
 Influence of Aurangzeb
• Aurangzeb was arguably the most powerful and wealthiest ruler of his
day. His nearly 50-year reign (1658–1707) had a profound influence on
the political landscape of early modern India, and his legacy, real and
imagined continues to loom large in India and Pakistan today.
• Trucked evaluates Aurangzeb not by modern standards but according to
the traditions and values of his own time, painting a picture of Aurangzeb
as a complex figure whose relationship to Islam was dynamic, strategic,
and sometimes contradictory.
• He expanded the Mughal Empire to its
greatest extent, subsuming most of the
Indian subcontinent under a single
imperial power for the first time in
human history.
• His reign is characterized by a period
of rapid military expansion, with
several dynasties and states being
overthrown by the Mughals.
 Situation of Mughal Empire after
Aurangzeb’s Death
• Succession Crisis
• Weakening Central
Authority
• Financial Exhaustion.
• Social Unrest
 Role of Aurangzeb in the Decline of
Mughal Empire
• Protracted Military Campaigns
• Religious Intolerance
• Overextension of Borders:
• Failure to Adapt:
 END OF THE
PRESENTATION